By: Kara Lankford
Is there anything better than a good fishing trip? I mean, really? I get to fish fairly often and itâs always fun to be out on the water. But, there are fishing trips and then there are FISHING TRIPS! Well, last week I had one of those trips for the memory books. The kind of trip you love to talk about and show pictures to all your friends until they are green with envy.
I had the pleasure of fishing with a local fishing celebrity, Gary Finch. Gary and I met not too long ago at a meeting where Gary spoke to the crowd about conservation. Immediately I thought, âIâve got to meet this personâ. I got in touch with Gary and we scheduled a fishing trip. Little did I know we were going out with one of the best captains in South Alabama, William Manci of Eastern Shore Outfitters. My boss Bethany and I arrived at the boat launch a little early and as we waited for Gary to arrive we heard a voice with a deep southern drawl say âYâall waiting to go fishingâ? We answered in the affirmative and boarded Captain Willâs boat. He took us out in Weeks Bay while we awaited Garyâs arrival. Not five minutes passed before we were reeling in Speckled trout and a good-sized Black drum. I instantly thought, âItâs going to be a good day.â
The weather was perfect–warm with a hint of fall in the air. After picking up Gary we headed into Mobile Bay. The water was like glass as the boat skipped across. Dolphins played in the boat wake and pelicans dove for breakfast as we skimmed across the water. We anchored near a natural gas rig and put our game faces on. Soon we were catching more Speckled trout and a few White trout. Then the trip got more exciting. We started catching Spanish mackerel and they were big and feisty. I got a bite just about every time I threw my line in the water. It was amazing. We were neck and neck in a friendly competition of who was catching the biggest fish when Gary hooked a fish that would dwarf all others. As first he wasnât sure what he had hooked. Excitement filled the boat as we all looked on while
Gary fought to bring him to the boat. Was it a stingray? Was it a shark? We all waited with anticipation to see what would surface. It was a massive black drum! It was a team effort to get him in the boat and then Gary could hardly hold him up to get a picture. We decided that was a perfect way to end a great day of fishing.
As we headed back toward Weeks Bay I couldnât help but reflect on the dayâs events. I thought of the excitement of just being out on the water catching fish and the contentment that comes from being
surrounded by the beauty of the bay and the creatures in it and above it– all the things we science folks call natural resources. It sounds corny but each time Iâm out on the water Iâm reminded how much I love this place. If you think about the term natural resources it may sound like a wonky science term that people throw out at meetings or when they want to sound intelligent. But, the fact is these natural resources belong to everyone and should be available for everyone to enjoy, even future generations.
When the RESTORE Act passed last summer and the federal government determined that the BP Clean Water Act Fines should come back to the gulf for restoration, that put citizens like you and me in a powerful position to protect the place we love. It is up to us to tell our elected officials what we want for the future of our natural resources both inshore and off shore. In Alabama, the Governor has established the Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council to direct the stateâs portion of the RESTORE Act dollars. The council is mostly made up of local elected offi cials. While meetings up to this point have been closed to the public there are plans to have public meetings in order for general citizens and the âownersâ of these natural resources to voice their opinions. As a fellow Alabamian Iâd like to encourage you to get involved in this process. You have a voice in the decisions that will be made.
For more information www.restorealabama.org or our website at www.oceanconservancy.org.
Kara Lankford is Ocean Conservancyâs Constituent Outreach Specialist. Sheâs a lifelong resident of the Alabama Gulf Coast. Ocean Conservancy educates and empowers citizens to take action on behalf
of the ocean. From the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico to the halls of Congress, Ocean Conservancy brings people together to find solutions for our water planet.
Informed by science, our work guides policy and engages people in protecting the ocean and its wildlife for future generations.